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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23543674">The Lost Hero and the Seventh (On Hiatus)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suddenly_I_Kin_Oikawa/pseuds/Suddenly_I_Kin_Oikawa'>Suddenly_I_Kin_Oikawa</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Warriors of Olympus [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians &amp; Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>&lt;3, Adorable Leo Valdez, BAMF Leo Valdez, BAMF Piper McLean, Bisexual Leo Valdez, Canon Rewrite, F/F, F/M, Gay Jason Grace, I'm changing a lot, Insecure Leo Valdez, Jason Grace Needs a Hug, Jason Grace is a Dork, Jason Grace is a Good Friend, LET DEMIGODS SAY FUCK, Leo Valdez Needs a Hug, M/M, Multi, Other, Pansexual Piper McLean, Percy Jackson &amp; Piper McLean Friendship, Piper McLean is a Good Friend, Protective Jason Grace, Sad Leo Valdez, Some of the ships overlap, There will be apolloxpercy, Top Jason Grace, and pollux and will are gonna be canon, becuase he was honestly treated like shit, but jason and leo will be canon, everybody loves leo, i don't update fast, i will be following along with the book, if you hadn't noticed, leo is a bit of a twink, only a lil bit, other times not so much, right now we're focusing on leo, sometimes very close, taking risks too, that's for later tho, the lost hero rewrite, we love you Leo, why is that not a tag</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:19:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,399</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23543674</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suddenly_I_Kin_Oikawa/pseuds/Suddenly_I_Kin_Oikawa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason Has A Problem. He doesn't remember anything before waking up on a bus full of kids. Apparently, he has a boyfriend named Leo, who, by the gods, is the most perfect gorgeous person Jason's ever met, and a best friend in Piper. Not only that, but now he has to go on this quest to save a goddess? Wait, hold up, who the fuck is Percy Jackson?</p><p>Piper Has A Secret. Her dad has been missing for three days and just as she had worked up the courage to tell Jason about the Dream some monster sent her about her dad, he forgets everything! Now she has to do this by herself. Or... or maybe not. </p><p>Leo's Life Is Shit. Yeah, there are some upsides to it! Like Jason- wait no, his boyfriend has no memory of him. Oh well, at least he has a cabin fill with people like him- Er, no, there's a curse and nobody can build anything. Well at least he's not going crazy! Ah, there goes Tia Callida. Alright, WHO TF SAID MY DAD'S A GOD.</p><p> </p><p>Ooooooorrrrr, I take Heroes of Olympus and make that shit gayer. Watch Leo, Jason, and Piper deal with the shitty shit life dealt them together before the world tears itself apart. *Cracks knuckles* Time to fuck shit up</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase/Piper McLean/Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Clarisse La Rue/Chris Rodriguez, Ella/Tyson (Percy Jackson), Gleeson Hedge/Mellie, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace &amp; Piper McLean &amp; Leo Valdez, Jason Grace/Leo Valdez, Juniper/Grover Underwood, Nico di Angelo/Connor Stoll/Travis Stoll, Percy Jackson/Apollo, Pollux/Will Solace, Will Solace/Leo Valdez</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Warriors of Olympus [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1694332</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>244</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Valgrace in the Canon Universe</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Jason('s gay panic)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>If you wanna see some prompts that I've written you can head over to my Tumblr resting-confused-bitchface!  I won't mind of you use them, just message me first!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>EVEN BEFORE HE GOT ELECTROCUTED, Jason was having a rotten day. He woke in the backseat of a school bus, not sure where he was, with a tiny Latino elf sitting on his lap, chest to chest with him, asleep. That wasn’t necessarily the rotten part. The boy was the perfect mix of adorable and hot, with his face buried in the crook of his shoulder, snoring so softly it could be compared to purring, but he couldn’t figure out who the boy was or what he was doing there. He righted himself and rubbed his eyes, trying to think.  </p>
<p>A few dozen kids sprawled in the seats in front of him, listening to iPods, talking, or sleeping. They all looked around his age … fifteen? Sixteen? Okay, that was scary. He didn’t know his own age. </p>
<p>The bus rumbled along a bumpy road. Out the windows, desert rolled by under a bright blue sky. Jason was pretty sure he didn’t live in the desert. He tried to think back … the last thing he remembered … The boy woke up with a tiny yawn. </p>
<p>“Jason, you okay?” he murmured with a tiny kiss to the underside of Jason’s jaw.</p>
<p>He was wearing black cuffed jeans, golden brown Tims, and a large dark blue hoodie over what seemed like a white fitted button up shirt. His dark hair was filled with silky curls which he reached up to brush behind his ears before laying his head back on Jason’s chest, seemingly falling back to sleep. Jason was gaping, he knew it, but he couldn’t help it. This boy, whoever he was, was seriously adorable. Jason just wanted to ravish him.</p>
<p>At that thought, Jason flushed and covered his face with the hand that was not running through the boy’s hair and when did that happen what is he doing why wHY IS HIS HAIR SO SOFT-</p>
<p>“Jason, seriously, are you okay?” The boy was once again awake, this time with obviously no intention of going back to sleep.</p>
<p>“I….”</p>
<p>Jason couldn’t focus on anything other than the eyes of the utter angel in his lap. His eye were brown, but seemed to turn into fire when the sun hit them.  Not to mention the light dusting of freckles that he could now see that covered the Latinos cheeks.</p>
<p>“Um, I don’t-”</p>
<p>In the front of the bus, a teacher shouted, “All right, cupcakes, listen up!” </p>
<p>Jason broke eye contact and looked at the teacher, just as the boy turned his head to do the same thing, but not before sending Jason one last concerned look. </p>
<p>The guy was obviously a coach. His baseball cap was pulled low over his hair, so you could just see his beady eyes. He had a wispy goatee and a sour face, like he’d eaten something moldy. His buff arms and chest pushed against a bright orange polo shirt. His nylon workout pants and Nikes were spotless white. A whistle hung from his neck, and a megaphone was clipped to his belt. He would’ve looked pretty scary if he hadn’t been five feet zero. When he stood up in the aisle, one of the students called, “Stand up, Coach Hedge!” </p>
<p>“I heard that!” The coach scanned the bus for the offender. Then his eyes fixed on Jason, and his scowl deepened.</p>
<p>A jolt went down Jason’s spine. He was sure the coach knew he didn’t belong there. He was going to call Jason out, demand to know what he was doing on the bus—and Jason wouldn’t have a clue what to say. </p>
<p>But Coach Hedge looked away and cleared his throat. “We’ll arrive in five minutes! Stay with your partner. Don’t lose your worksheet. And if any of you precious little cupcakes causes any trouble on this trip, I will personally send you back to campus the hard way.” </p>
<p>He picked up a baseball bat and made like he was hitting a homer. </p>
<p>Jason looked at the girl next to him steadily trying to avoid the eyes of the boy still in his lap why is he still in his lap what the fu-. “Can he talk to us that way?” </p>
<p>She shrugged. “Always does. This is the Wilderness School. ‘Where kids are the animals.’” </p>
<p>She said it like it was a joke they’d shared before. </p>
<p>“This is some kind of mistake,” Jason said. “I’m not supposed to be here.” </p>
<p>The boy in his lap looked up and laughed, a look in his eyes and a grin on his face that said he should not be trusted around matches or sharp objects. His long, nimble fingers once again brushed hair behind his ear before beginning to tap randomly on Jason’s chest, flustering him further. He then began to trace invisible shapes on his chest, as if he was trying to figure something out. Either the kid was naturally hyper or he was hopped up on enough sugar and caffeine to give a heart attack to a water buffalo. </p>
<p>“Yeah, right, Jay.” He giggled. “We’ve all been framed! I didn’t run away six times. Piper didn’t steal a BMW.” </p>
<p>The girl blushed. “I didn’t steal that car, Leo!” </p>
<p>“Oh, I forgot, Piper. What was your story? You ‘talked’ the dealer into lending it to you?” He raised his eyebrows at Jason like, Can you believe her?</p>
<p>“Anyway,” Leo said, “I hope you’ve got your worksheet, ’cause I used mine for spit wads days ago. Why are you looking at me like that? Cat got your tongue, again?”</p>
<p>The bold way he said it made Jason sputter and choke before he could give his response.</p>
<p>“I d….don’t know you.”</p>
<p>Leo gave him a crocodile grin. “Sure. I’m not your boyfriend. I’m his evil clone.”</p>
<p>“Leo Valdez!” Coach Hedge yelled from the front. “Problem back there?” </p>
<p>Leo winked at Jason. “Watch this.” He turned his head to the front. “Sorry, Coach! I was having trouble hearing you. Could you use your megaphone, please?”</p>
<p>Coach Hedge grunted like he was pleased to have an excuse. He unclipped the megaphone from his belt and continued giving directions, but his voice came out like Darth Vader’s. The kids cracked up. The coach tried again, but this time the megaphone blared: “The cow says moo!” </p>
<p>The kids howled, and the coach slammed down the megaphone. “Valdez!” </p>
<p>Piper stifled a laugh. “My god, Leo. How did you do that?” </p>
<p>Leo slipped a tiny Phillips head screwdriver from his sleeve. “I’m a special boy.”</p>
<p>A distressed noise left Jason at those words.</p>
<p>“Guys, seriously,” Jason pleaded, his stutter only upsetting him further. “What am I d-d…. doing here? Where are we going?” </p>
<p>Piper knit her eyebrows. “Jason, are you joking?” </p>
<p>“N-no! I have no idea—” </p>
<p>“Aw, yeah, he’s joking,” Leo said, sounding like he was trying not to worry. “He’s trying to get me back for that shaving cream on the Jell-O thing, aren’t you?” </p>
<p>Jason stared at him blankly. </p>
<p>“No, I think he’s serious.” Piper tried to lay the back of her hand on his forehead, but he pulled away sharply. Leo yelped as he was jostled.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t—I can’t—” </p>
<p>“That’s it!” Coach Hedge yelled from the front. “The back row has just volunteered to clean up after lunch!” </p>
<p>The rest of the kids cheered. </p>
<p>“There’s a shocker,” Leo muttered. </p>
<p>But Piper kept her eyes on Jason. “Did you hit your head or something? You really don’t know who we are?” </p>
<p>Jason shrugged helplessly. “It’s worse than that. I… don’t know who I am.”</p>
<p>⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡</p>
<p>The bus dropped them in front of a big red stucco complex like a museum, just sitting in the middle of nowhere. Maybe that’s what it was: The National Museum of Nowhere, Jason thought. A cold wind blew across the desert. Jason hadn’t paid much attention to what he was wearing, but it wasn’t nearly warm enough: jeans and sneakers, a purple T-shirt, and a thin black windbreaker. Its sleeves were wrinkled so it was assumed the used to be around his waist.</p>
<p>“Are you cold?” Jason looked down at Leo. </p>
<p>“Yeah, kinda.” Leo scrunched up his nose and began taking the large hoodie off.</p>
<p>“I told you I didn’t need this, you can have it back. My body runs at a higher temperature than yours.”</p>
<p>Heat flared across Jason’s face, as he fixed the hoodie back around the smaller boys body.</p>
<p>“No, no. Keep it. I gave it to you apparently, and besides I have something on.”</p>
<p>Leo lightly smacked his forehead muttering an Oh yeah.</p>
<p>“So, a crash course for the amnesiac,” Leo said, in a helpful tone that made Jason think this was not going to be helpful. “We go to the ‘Wilderness School’”—Leo made air quotes with his fingers. “Which means we’re ‘bad kids.’ Your family, or the court, or whoever, decided you were too much trouble, so they shipped you off to this lovely prison—sorry, ‘boarding school’—in Armpit, Nevada, where you learn valuable nature skills like running ten miles a day through the cacti and weaving daisies into hats! And for a special treat we go on ‘educational’ field trips with Coach Hedge, who keeps order with a baseball bat. Is it all coming back to you now?” Even though he was smiling, it was obvious he was beginning to get worried.</p>
<p>“No.” Jason glanced apprehensively at the other kids: maybe twenty guys, half that many girls. None of them looked like hardened criminals, but he wondered what they’d all done to get sentenced to a school for delinquents, and he wondered why he belonged with them. </p>
<p>Leo rolled his eyes. “You’re really gonna play this out, huh? Okay, so the three of us started here together this semester. You really love me! You do everything I say and give me your dessert—” </p>
<p>“Leo!” Piper snapped. </p>
<p>“Fine. Ignore that last part. But we are friends. I love you and you love me. We’re all that each other’s got. Well, Piper’s got a little more than us, the last few weeks—” </p>
<p>“Leo, stop it!” Piper’s face turned red. Jason could feel his face burning too. He thought he’d remember if he’d been going out with a boy like Leo.</p>
<p>“He’s got amnesia or something,” Piper said. “We’ve got to tell somebody.” </p>
<p>Leo scoffed, his worry irritating him. “Who, Coach Hedge? He’d try to fix Jason by whacking him upside the head. And today he’s already looking at him like he did something!” <br/>The coach was at the front of the group, barking orders and blowing his whistle to keep the kids in line; but every so often he’d glance back at Jason and scowl. </p>
<p>“Leo, Jason needs help,” Piper insisted. “He’s got a concussion or—” </p>
<p>“Yo, Piper.” One of the other guys dropped back to join them as the group was heading into the museum. The new guy wedged himself between Jason and Piper and knocked Leo down. “Don’t talk to these gays. You’re my partner, remember?”</p>
<p>If the fact that he knocked Leo over didn’t piss Jason off, his obvious homophobic behavior did. As he helped Leo up, Jason glared at his stupid dark superman hair, and his stupid tan, and his stupid freakishly white teeth. He wore a Dallas Cowboys jersey, Western jeans and boots, and he smiled like he was God’s gift to juvenile delinquent girls everywhere. Jason hated him immensely. </p>
<p>“Go away, Dylan,” Piper grumbled. “I didn’t ask to work with you.” </p>
<p>“Ah, that’s no way to be. This is your lucky day!” Dylan hooked his arm through hers and dragged her through the museum entrance. Piper shot one last look over her shoulder like, 911. </p>
<p>Leo tucked himself under Jason’s arm after brushing himself off. “I hate that guy.” He gave Jason a smirk like he was so lucky to have him, then grabbed the hand that was hanging over his shoulder. “‘I’m Dylan. I’m so cool, I want to date myself, but I can’t figure out how! You want to date me instead? You’re so lucky!’” </p>
<p>“Leo,” Jason said smiling, “you’re weird.” </p>
<p>“Yeah, you tell me that a lot.” Leo grinned. “But if you don’t remember me, that means I can reuse all my old jokes and pick-up lines. Come on!”</p>
<p>Jason figured that if this was his boyfriend, his life must be pretty messed up; but he followed Leo into the museum. All the while holding Leo’s hand.</p>
<p>They walked through the building, stopping here and there for Coach Hedge to lecture them with his megaphone, which alternately made him sound like a Sith Lord or blared out random comments like “The pig says oink.” </p>
<p>Leo kept pulling out nuts, bolts, and pipe cleaners from the pockets of his hoodie and putting them together, like he had to keep his hands busy at all times whenever he wasn’t holding onto Jason. He would grab his hand, hold onto it for a while then suddenly let it go to build something before shooting a small smile at the bigger boy and grabbing his hand again.</p>
<p>Jason was too distracted by this to pay much attention to the exhibits, but they were about the Grand Canyon and the Hualapai tribe, which owned the museum.</p>
<p>Some girls kept looking over at Piper and Dylan and snickering. Jason figured these girls were the popular clique. They wore matching jeans and pink tops and enough makeup for a Halloween party. </p>
<p>One of them said, “Hey, Piper, does your tribe run this place? Do you get in free if you do a rain dance?”</p>
<p>The other girls laughed. Even Piper’s so-called partner Dylan suppressed a smile. Piper’s snowboarding jacket sleeves hid her hands, but Jason got the feeling she was clenching her fists. </p>
<p>“My dad’s Cherokee,” she said. “Not Hualapai. ’Course, you’d need a few brain cells to know the difference, Isabel.” </p>
<p>Isabel widened her eyes in mock surprise, so that she looked like an owl with a makeup addiction. “Oh, sorry! Was your mom in this tribe? Oh, that’s right. You never knew your mom.” </p>
<p>Piper charged her, but before a fight could start, Coach Hedge barked, “Enough back there! Set a good example or I’ll break out my baseball bat!”</p>
<p>The group shuffled on to the next exhibit, but the girls kept calling out little comments to Piper. </p>
<p>“Good to be back on the rez?” one asked in a sweet voice. </p>
<p>“Dad’s probably too drunk to work,” another said with fake sympathy. “That’s why she turned klepto.”</p>
<p>Piper ignored them, but Jason was ready to punch them himself. He might not remember Piper, or even who he was, but he knew he hated bullies. </p>
<p>Leo kept a tight grip on his arm. “Be cool. Piper doesn’t like us fighting her battles. Besides, if those girls found out the truth about her dad, they’d be all bowing down to her and screaming, ‘We’re not worthy!’”</p>
<p>“Why? What about her dad?” </p>
<p>Leo laughed uncertainly. “You’re not kidding? You really don’t remember that our best friend’s dad—”</p>
<p>“Look, I wish I did, but I don’t even remember her, much less her dad.” </p>
<p>Leo sighed. “Whatever. We have to talk when we get back to the dorm.” </p>
<p>They reached the far end of the exhibit hall, where some big glass doors led out to a terrace. </p>
<p>“All right, cupcakes,” Coach Hedge announced. “You are about to see the Grand Canyon. Try not to break it. The skywalk can hold the weight of seventy jumbo jets, so you featherweights should be safe out there. If possible, try to avoid pushing each other over the edge, as that would cause me extra paperwork.”</p>
<p>The coach opened the doors, and they all stepped outside. The Grand Canyon spread before them, live and in person. Extending over the edge was a horseshoe-shaped walkway made of glass, so you could see right through it. </p>
<p>“Man,” Leo said. “That’s pretty wicked.” </p>
<p>Jason had to agree. Despite his amnesia and his feeling that he didn’t belong there, he couldn’t help being impressed.</p>
<p>The canyon was bigger and wider than you could appreciate from a picture. They were up so high that birds circled below their feet. Five hundred feet down, a river snaked along the canyon floor. Banks of storm clouds had moved overhead while they’d been inside, casting shadows like angry faces across the cliffs. As far as Jason could see in any direction, red and gray ravines cut through the desert like some crazy god had taken a knife to it. </p>
<p>Jason got a piercing pain behind his eyes. Crazy gods … Where had he come up with that idea? He felt like he’d gotten close to something important—something he should know about. He also got the unmistakable feeling he was in danger. His arm tightened around Leo unconsciously.</p>
<p>“You all right?” Leo asked. “You’re not going to throw up over the side, are you? Cause I should’ve brought my camera.”</p>
<p>Jason leaned more onto Leo. He was shivering and sweaty, but it had nothing to do with heights. He blinked, and the pain behind his eyes subsided. </p>
<p>“I’m fine,” he managed. “Just a headache.” </p>
<p>Thunder rumbled overhead. A cold wind almost knocked him sideways. “This can’t be safe.” Leo squinted at the clouds. “Storm’s right over us, but it’s clear all the way around. Weird, huh?” </p>
<p>Jason looked up and saw Leo was right. A dark circle of clouds had parked itself over the skywalk, but the rest of the sky in every direction was perfectly clear. Jason had a bad feeling about that.</p>
<p>“All right, cupcakes!” Coach Hedge yelled. He frowned at the storm like it bothered him too. “We may have to cut this short, so get to work! Remember, complete sentences!”</p>
<p>The storm rumbled, and Jason’s head began to hurt again. Not knowing why he did it, he reached into his jeans pocket and brought out a coin—a circle of gold the size of a half-dollar, but thicker and more uneven. Stamped on one side was a picture of a battle-ax. On the other was some guy’s face wreathed in laurels. The inscription said something like ivlivs. </p>
<p>“Dang, is that gold?” Leo asked. “You been holding out on me!” </p>
<p>Jason put the coin away, wondering how he’d come to have it, and why he had the feeling he was going to need it soon. </p>
<p>“It’s nothing,” he said. “Just a coin.” </p>
<p>Leo shrugged. Maybe his mind had to keep moving as much as his hands. “Come on,” he said. “Dare you to spit over the edge.”</p>
<p>They didn’t try very hard on the worksheet. For one thing, Jason was too distracted by the storm and his own mixed-up feelings. For another thing, he didn’t have any idea how to “name three sedimentary strata you observe” or “describe two examples of erosion.” </p>
<p>Leo was no help. He was too busy building a helicopter out of pipe cleaners. He was also sitting in his lap, leaning back onto his chest which was a whole different kind of distracting.</p>
<p>“Check it out.” He launched the copter. Jason figured it would plummet, but the pipe-cleaner blades actually spun. The little copter made it halfway across the canyon before it lost momentum and spiraled into the void. </p>
<p>“How’d you do that?” Jason asked. </p>
<p>Leo shrugged. “Would’ve been cooler if I had some rubber bands.” </p>
<p>“Seriously,” Jason said, “are we dating?”</p>
<p>“Last I checked.”</p>
<p>“You sure? What was the first day we met? What did we talk about?” </p>
<p>“It was …” Leo frowned. “I don’t recall exactly. I’m ADHD, babe. You can’t expect me to remember details.” </p>
<p>“But I don’t remember you at all. I don’t remember anyone here. What if—” </p>
<p>“You’re right and everyone else is wrong?” Leo asked, getting off his lap to face him. “You think you just appeared here this morning, and we’ve all got fake memories of you?” </p>
<p>A little voice in Jason’s head said, that’s exactly what I think. </p>
<p>But it sounded crazy. Everybody here took him for granted. Everyone acted like he was a normal part of the class—except for Coach Hedge.</p>
<p>“Take the worksheet.” Jason handed Leo the paper. “I’ll be right back.”</p>
<p>Before Leo could protest, Jason headed across the skywalk. </p>
<p>Their school group had the place to themselves. Maybe it was too early in the day for tourists, or maybe the weird weather had scared them off. The Wilderness School kids had spread out in pairs across the skywalk. Most were joking around or talking. Some of the guys were dropping pennies over the side. About fifty feet away, Piper was trying to fill out her worksheet, but her stupid partner Dylan was hitting on her, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving her that blinding white smile. She kept pushing him away, and when she saw Jason she gave him a look like, Throttle this guy for me. </p>
<p>Jason motioned for her to hang on. He walked up to Coach Hedge, who was leaning on his baseball bat, studying the storm clouds. </p>
<p>“Did you do this?” the coach asked him. </p>
<p>Jason took a step back. “Do what?” It sounded like the coach had just asked if he’d made the thunderstorm.</p>
<p>Coach Hedge glared at him, his beady little eyes glinting under the brim of his cap. “Don’t play games with me, kid. What are you doing here, and why are you messing up my job?”</p>
<p>“You mean…you don’t know me?” Jason said. “I’m not one of your students?” </p>
<p>Hedge snorted. “Never seen you before today.” </p>
<p>Jason was so relieved he almost wanted to cry. At least he wasn’t going insane. He was in the wrong place. “Look, sir, I don’t know how I got here. I just woke up on the school bus. All I know is I’m not supposed to be here.” </p>
<p>“Got that right.” Hedge’s gruff voice dropped to a murmur, like he was sharing a secret. “You got a powerful way with the Mist, kid, if you can make all these people think they know you; but you can’t fool me. I’ve been smelling monster for days now. I knew we had an infiltrator, but you don’t smell like a monster. You smell like a half-blood. So—who are you, and where’d you come from?”</p>
<p>Most of what the coach said didn’t make sense, but Jason decided to answer honestly. “I don’t know who I am. I don’t have any memories. You’ve got to help me.” </p>
<p>Coach Hedge studied his face like was trying to read Jason’s thoughts. “Great,” Hedge muttered. “You’re being truthful.” </p>
<p>“Of course I am! And what was all that about monsters and half-bloods? Are those code words or something?” </p>
<p>Hedge narrowed his eyes. Part of Jason wondered if the guy was just nuts. But the other part knew better. </p>
<p>“Look, kid,” Hedge said, “I don’t know who you are. I just know what you are, and it means trouble. Now I got to protect three of you rather than two. Are you the special package? Is that it?” </p>
<p>“What are you talking about?” Hedge looked at the storm. The clouds were getting thicker and darker, hovering right over the skywalk. </p>
<p>“This morning,” Hedge said, “I got a message from camp. They said an extraction team is on the way. They’re coming to pick up a special package, but they wouldn’t give me details. I thought to myself, Fine. The two I’m watching are pretty powerful, older than most. I know they’re being stalked. I can smell a monster in the group. I figure that’s why the camp is suddenly frantic to pick them up. But then you pop up out of nowhere. So, are you the special package?” </p>
<p>The pain behind Jason’s eyes got worse than ever. Half-bloods. Camp. Monsters. He still didn’t know what Hedge was talking about, but the words gave him a massive brain freeze —like his mind was trying to access information that should’ve been there but wasn’t. </p>
<p>He stumbled, and Coach Hedge caught him. For a short guy, the coach had hands like steel. “Whoa, there, cupcake. You say you got no memories, huh? Fine. I’ll just have to watch you, too, until the team gets here. We’ll let the director figure things out.” </p>
<p>“What director?” Jason said. “What camp?”</p>
<p>“Jason?” </p>
<p>The blonde turned and was startled to see Leo standing there, looking concerned.</p>
<p>“L-leo? What are you doing?”</p>
<p>“You looked ready to fall of the bridge twice now, I came to see what’s up. Coach?”</p>
<p>Jason looked back at the teacher.</p>
<p>“Nothing, Valdez. Just sit tight. Reinforcements should be here soon. Hopefully nothing happens before—” </p>
<p>Lightning crackled overhead. The wind picked up with a vengeance. Worksheets flew into the Grand Canyon, and the entire bridge shuddered. Kids screamed, stumbling and grabbing the rails. Leo and Jason reached at latched onto each other at once.</p>
<p>“I had to say something,” Hedge grumbled. He bellowed into his megaphone: “Everyone inside! The cow says moo! Off the skywalk!” </p>
<p>“I thought you said this thing was stable!” Jason shouted over the wind. </p>
<p>“Under normal circumstances,” Hedge agreed, “which these aren’t. Come on!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Jason(is not jumping off anymore cliffs)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Okay.<br/>Piper's probably concussed because she won't stop staring at this girl.<br/>Leo kissed him (Ohmygodleokissedhimwhatthefuckhislipsohgod)<br/>Hedge's name is fucking Gleeson<br/>Scary girl wants to kill him.<br/>Alright, Jason wants a nap. Hopefully, not about rainbows.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Updates might get a bit slower whenever I work with Leo's or Piper's chapters, they required a whole lot more changing than Jason's. Just a heads up! Daily updates will not be a thing. Comment if you wanna say something, they help me sleep at night! (Believe me, I need it)</p>
<p>Also, not beta'd so if there are any mistakes, I'm sorry!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>THE STORM CHURNED INTO A MINIATURE HURRICANE. Funnel clouds snaked toward the skywalk like the tendrils of a monster jellyfish. </p>
<p>Kids screamed and ran for the building. The wind snatched away their notebooks, jackets, hats, and backpacks. Jason was pulled from Leo as he skidded across the slick floor.<br/>Leo lost his balance and almost toppled over the railing, but Jason grabbed his jacket and pulled him under his arm.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Jase!” Leo yelled. </p>
<p>“Go, go, go!” said Coach Hedge. </p>
<p>Piper and Dylan were holding the doors open, herding the other kids inside. Piper’s snowboarding jacket was flapping wildly, her dark hair all in her face. Jason thought she must’ve been freezing, but she looked calm and confident—telling the others it would be okay, encouraging them to keep moving.</p>
<p>Jason, Leo, and Coach Hedge ran toward them, but it was like running through quicksand. The wind seemed to fight them, pushing them back.</p>
<p>Dylan and Piper pushed one more kid inside, then lost their grip on the doors. They slammed shut, closing off the skywalk. </p>
<p>Piper tugged at the handles. Inside, the kids pounded on the glass, but the doors seemed to be stuck.</p>
<p> “Dylan, help!” Piper shouted. </p>
<p>Dylan just stood there with an idiotic grin, his Cowboys jersey rippling in the wind, like he was suddenly enjoying the storm. </p>
<p>“Sorry, Piper,” he said. “I’m done helping.” </p>
<p>He flicked his wrist, and Piper flew backward, slamming into the doors and sliding to the skywalk deck.</p>
<p>“Piper!” Jason and Leo reached out as they began to run towards their friend, but the wind was against them, as was Coach Hedge as he held out his arm to stop them.</p>
<p>“Coach,” Jason said, “let me go!” </p>
<p>“Jason, Leo, stay behind me,” the coach ordered. “This is my fight. I should’ve known that was our monster.” </p>
<p>“What?” Leo demanded. A rogue worksheet slapped him in the face, but he swatted it away. “What monster?” </p>
<p>The coach’s cap blew off, and sticking up above his curly hair were two bumps—like the knots cartoon characters get when they’re bonked on the head. Coach Hedge lifted his baseball bat—but it wasn’t a regular bat anymore. Somehow it had changed into a crudely shaped tree-branch club, with twigs and leaves still attached.</p>
<p>“What,” Leo grabbed Jason’s hand, “the fuck.”</p>
<p>Dylan gave them that psycho happy smile. “Oh, come on, Coach. Let the boy attack me! After all, you’re getting too old for this. Isn’t that why they retired you to this stupid school? I’ve been on your team the entire season, and you didn’t even know. You’re losing your nose, grandpa.” </p>
<p>The coach made an angry sound like an animal bleating. “That’s it, cupcake. You’re going down.” </p>
<p>“You think you can protect three half-bloods at once, old man?” Dylan laughed. “Good luck.” </p>
<p>Dylan pointed at Leo, and a funnel cloud materialized around him. Leo, snatched from Jason’s grip, flew off the skywalk like he’d been tossed. Somehow, he managed to twist in midair, and slammed sideways into the canyon wall. He skidded, clawing furiously for any handhold. Finally, he grabbed a thin ledge about fifty feet below the skywalk and hung there by his fingertips. </p>
<p>“Help!” he yelled up at them. “Rope, please? Bungee cord? Something?” </p>
<p>Coach Hedge cursed and tossed Jason his club. “I don’t know who you are, kid, but I hope you’re good. Keep that thing busy”—he stabbed a thumb at Dylan— “while I get Leo.”</p>
<p> “Get him how?” Jason demanded. “You going to fly?” </p>
<p>“Not fly. Climb.” Hedge kicked off his shoes, and Jason almost had a coronary. The coach didn’t have any feet. He had hooves—goat’s hooves. Which meant those things on his head, Jason realized, weren’t bumps. They were horns.</p>
<p>“You’re a faun,” Jason said. </p>
<p>“Satyr!” Hedge snapped. “Fauns are Roman. But we’ll talk about that later.” </p>
<p>Hedge leaped over the railing. He sailed toward the canyon wall and hit hooves first. He bounded down the cliff with impossible agility, finding footholds no bigger than postage stamps, dodging whirlwinds that tried to attack him as he picked his way toward Leo. </p>
<p>“Isn’t that cute!” Dylan turned toward Jason. “Now it’s your turn, boy.” </p>
<p>Jason threw the club. It seemed useless with the winds so strong, but the club flew right at Dylan, even curving when he tried to dodge, and smacked him on the head so hard he fell to his knees. </p>
<p>Piper wasn’t as dazed as she appeared. Her fingers closed around the club when it rolled next to her, but before she could use it, Dylan rose. Blood—golden blood—trickled from his forehead. </p>
<p>“Nice try, boy.” He glared at Jason. “But you’ll have to do better.”</p>
<p>The skywalk shuddered. Hairline fractures appeared in the glass. Inside the museum, kids stopped banging on the doors. They backed away, watching in terror.</p>
<p>Dylan’s body dissolved into smoke, as if his molecules were coming unglued. He had the same face, the same brilliant white smile, but his whole form was suddenly composed of swirling black vapor, his eyes like electrical sparks in a living storm cloud. He sprouted black smoky wings and rose above the skywalk. If angels could be evil, Jason decided, they would look exactly like this.</p>
<p>“You’re a ventus,” Jason said, though he had no idea how he knew that word. “A storm spirit.”</p>
<p> Dylan’s laugh sounded like a tornado tearing off a roof. “I’m glad I waited, demigod. Leo and Piper I’ve known about for weeks. Could’ve killed them at any time. But my mistress said a third was coming—someone special. She’ll reward me greatly for your death!” </p>
<p>Two more funnel clouds touched down on either side of Dylan and turned into venti—ghostly young men with smoky wings and eyes that flickered with lightning. </p>
<p>Piper stayed down, pretending to be dazed, her hand still gripping the club. Her face was pale, but she gave Jason a determined look, and he understood the message: Keep their attention. I’ll brain them from behind.</p>
<p>Violent! Jason wished he remembered having her as a friend.</p>
<p>He clenched his fists and got ready to charge, but he never got a chance. </p>
<p>Dylan raised his hand, arcs of electricity running between his fingers, and blasted Jason in the chest.  </p>
<p>Jason found himself flat on his back. His mouth tasted like burning aluminum foil. He lifted his head and saw that his clothes were smoking. The lightning bolt had gone straight though his body and blasted off his left shoe. His toes were black with soot. Jason thought he heard Leo screaming out his name.</p>
<p>The storm spirits were laughing. The winds raged. Piper was screaming defiantly, but it all sounded tiny and far away. </p>
<p>Out of the corner of his eye, Jason saw Coach Hedge climbing the cliff with Leo on his back. Piper was on her feet, desperately swinging the club to fend off the two extra storm spirits, but they were just toying with her. The club went right through their bodies like they weren’t there. And Dylan, a dark and winged tornado with eyes, loomed over Jason. <br/>“Stop,” Jason croaked. He rose unsteadily to his feet, and he wasn’t sure who was more surprised: him, or the storm spirits. </p>
<p>“How are you alive?” Dylan’s form flickered. “That was enough lightning to kill twenty men!” </p>
<p>“My turn,” Jason said. </p>
<p>He reached in his pocket and pulled out the gold coin. He let his instincts take over, flipping the coin in the air like he’d done it a thousand times. He caught it in his palm, and suddenly he was holding a sword—a wickedly sharp double-edged weapon. The ridged grip fit his fingers perfectly, and the whole thing was gold—hilt, handle, and blade.<br/>Dylan snarled and backed up. He looked at his two comrades and yelled, “Well? Kill him!”</p>
<p>The other storm spirits didn’t look happy with that order, but they flew at Jason, their fingers crackling with electricity. </p>
<p>Jason swung at the first spirit. His blade passed through it, and the creature’s smoky form disintegrated. The second spirit let loose a bolt of lightning, but Jason’s blade absorbed the charge. Jason stepped in—one quick thrust, and the second storm spirit dissolved into gold powder. </p>
<p>Dylan wailed in outrage. He looked down as if expecting his comrades to re-form, but their gold dust remains dispersed in the wind. “Impossible! Who are you, half-blood?” </p>
<p>Piper was so stunned she dropped her club. “Jason, how … ?” </p>
<p>Then Coach Hedge leaped back onto the skywalk and dumped Leo like a sack of flour. Jason thought he heard his supposed boyfriend muttering, “Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit,” under his breath.</p>
<p>“Spirits, fear me!” Hedge bellowed, flexing his short arms. Then he looked around and realized there was only Dylan. </p>
<p>“Curse it, boy!” he snapped at Jason. “Didn’t you leave some for me? I like a challenge!” </p>
<p>Leo got to his feet, breathing hard. He looked completely humiliated, his hands bleeding from clawing at the rocks. “Yo, Coach Super goat, whatever you are—I just fell down the fucking Grand Canyon! Stop asking for challenges!”</p>
<p>Dylan hissed at them, but Jason could see fear in his eyes. “You have no idea how many enemies you’ve awakened, half-bloods. My mistress will destroy all demigods. This war you cannot win.”</p>
<p>From the corner of his eye, Jason saw Leo get behind Dylan to go over to Piper, muttering to her and gently pushing her toward Coach Hedge.</p>
<p>Above them, the storm exploded into a full-force gale. Cracks expanded in the skywalk. Sheets of rain poured down, and Jason had to crouch to keep his balance. </p>
<p>A hole opened in the clouds—a swirling vortex of black and silver. </p>
<p>“The mistress calls me back!” Dylan shouted with glee. “And you, demigod, will come with me!” </p>
<p>He lunged at Jason, but Piper tackled the monster from behind. Even though he was made of smoke, Piper somehow managed to connect. Both of them went sprawling. Jason and the coach surged forward to help, but the spirit screamed with rage. Leo was able to run over and grab her off of the monster before he let loose a torrent that knocked them all backward.  Jason and Coach Hedge landed on their butts. Jason’s sword skidded across the glass. Piper was thrown against the railing, groaning and clutching her head. She curled into a ball and seemed to be truly dazed this time. Leo got the worst of it. He was thrown back and hit the railing not too far from Piper, tumbling over the side until he was hanging by one hand over the abyss. </p>
<p>Jason started toward him, but Dylan screamed, “I’ll settle for this one!”</p>
<p>He grabbed Piper’s arm and began to rise, towing a half-conscious Piper below him. The storm spun faster, pulling them upward like a vacuum cleaner. </p>
<p>“Help!” Leo yelled. “I’m tired of hanging over cliffs!” Then he slipped, screaming curses as he fell. </p>
<p>“Jason, go!” Hedge yelled. “Save him!”</p>
<p>The coach launched himself at the spirit with some serious Goat Fu—lashing out with his hooves, knocking Piper free from the spirit’s grasp. Piper dropped to the floor, hitting her head again, but Dylan grabbed the coach’s arms instead. Hedge tried to head-butt him, then kicked him and called him a cupcake. They rose into the air, gaining speed.</p>
<p>Coach Hedge shouted down once more, “Save him! I got this!” Then the satyr and the storm spirit spiraled into the clouds and disappeared. </p>
<p>Save him? Jason thought. Once again, he got the urge to jump off the cliff.</p>
<p>And again, his instincts won. He ran to the railing, thinking, I’m a lunatic, and jumped over the side.</p>
<p>⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡</p>
<p>Jason wasn’t scared of heights. He was scared of being smashed against the canyon floor five hundred feet below. He figured he hadn’t accomplished anything except for dying along with Leo, but he tucked in his arms and plummeted headfirst. The sides of the canyon raced past like a film on fast-forward. His face felt like it was peeling off. </p>
<p>In a heartbeat, he caught up with Leo, whose arms and legs were spread, trying to slow his fall. It was weird, this was probably to stillest Jason has ever seen the boy. Although, Leo kept up the steady stream of curses—English and Spanish.  He shook the thought from his head and tackled his waist and closed his eyes, waiting for death. Leo screamed. The wind whistled in Jason’s ears. He wondered what dying would feel like. He was thinking, probably not so good. He wished somehow, they could never hit bottom.</p>
<p>Suddenly the wind died. Leo’s scream turned into a strangled gasp. Jason thought they must be dead, but he hadn’t felt any impact.</p>
<p>“J-J-Jason,” Leo managed. </p>
<p>He opened his eyes. They weren’t falling. They were floating in midair, a hundred feet above the river.</p>
<p> He hugged Leo tight, and he repositioned himself so he was hugging him too. They were nose to nose. His heart beat so hard, Jason could feel it through his clothes. Leo kissed him and Jason was too stunned to do anything back. The kiss stopped just as suddenly as it started.</p>
<p>His breath reminded Jason vaguely of a camp fire. He said, “How did you—” </p>
<p>“I didn’t,” he said. “I think I would know if I could fly…” </p>
<p>But then he thought: I don’t even know who I am. </p>
<p>He imagined going up. Leo yelped as they shot a few feet higher and wrapped his legs around Jason Waist. Jason figured he would be blushing if he wasn’t so terrified. They weren’t exactly floating, Jason decided. He could feel pressure under his feet like they were balancing at the top of a geyser. </p>
<p>“The air is supporting us,” he said. </p>
<p>“Well, tell it to support us more! Get us out of here! I am so not with this.” </p>
<p>Jason looked down. The easiest thing would be to sink gently to the canyon floor. Then he looked up. The rain had stopped. The storm clouds didn’t seem as bad, but they were still rumbling and flashing. There was no guarantee the spirits were gone for good. He had no idea what had happened to Coach Hedge. And he’d left Piper up there, barely conscious.</p>
<p>“We have to help them,” Leo said, as if reading his thoughts. “Can you—”</p>
<p>“Let’s see.” Jason thought Up, and instantly they shot skyward. </p>
<p>The fact he was riding the winds might’ve been cool under different circumstances, but he was too much in shock. As soon as they landed on the skywalk, they ran to Piper. <br/>Leo turned Piper over, and she groaned. Her fleece snowboarding jacket was soaked from the rain. Her choppy hair glittered gold from rolling around in monster dust. But at least she wasn’t dead. </p>
<p>“Stupid … fucking … Dylan,” she muttered. </p>
<p>“Where did he go?” Leo asked. </p>
<p>Jason cut in. “And the coach?”</p>
<p>Piper pointed straight up. “Never came down. Please tell me he didn’t actually save our lives from a fucking monster that used to fucking hit on me.”</p>
<p>“Multiple times,” Jason said. </p>
<p>Piper groaned even louder. “What happened? A-after I got thrown into the railing? Coach Hedge really didn’t just disappear into to air after Leo fell to his death. I hit my head, I just hit it too hard. This is a hallucination isn’t it?” </p>
<p>Jason had forgotten about the sword. He walked over to where it was lying and picked it up. The blade was well balanced. On a hunch he flipped it. Mid-spin, the sword shrank back into a coin and landed in his palm. </p>
<p>“Yep,” Piper said. “Definitely hallucinating.”</p>
<p>Leo seemed pretty warm for someone in rain-soaked clothes. “Jason, those things—” </p>
<p>“Venti,” he said. “Storm spirits.” </p>
<p>“Okay. You acted like you’d seen them before. Who are you?”</p>
<p>He winced and shook his head. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I don’t know.” </p>
<p>The storm dissipated. The other kids from the Wilderness School were staring out the glass doors in horror. Security guards were working on the locks now, but they didn’t seem to be having any luck.</p>
<p> “Coach Hedge said he had to protect three people,” Jason remembered. “I think he meant us.” </p>
<p>“And that thing Dylan turned into …” Piper shuddered. “God, I can’t believe it was hitting on me. He called us... what, demigods?” </p>
<p>Leo squeezed Jason’s hand then went to lay on his back, staring at the sky. He didn’t seem anxious to get up. “Don’t know what demi means,” he said. “But I’m not feeling too godly. You guys feeling godly?” </p>
<p>There was a brittle sound like dry twigs snapping, and the cracks in the skywalk began to widen. </p>
<p>“We need to get off this thing,” Jason said. “Maybe if we—” </p>
<p>“Ohhh-kay,” Leo interrupted. “Look up there and tell me if those are flying horses.”</p>
<p>At first Jason worried if Leo was suffering from a breakdown. Then he saw a dark shape descending from the east—too slow for a plane, too large for a bird. As it got closer he could see a pair of winged animals—gray, four-legged, exactly like horses —except each one had a twenty-foot wingspan. And they were pulling a brightly painted box with two wheels: a chariot. </p>
<p>“Reinforcements,” he said. “Hedge told me an extraction squad was coming for us.” </p>
<p>“Extraction squad?” Leo struggled to his feet. “That sounds painful.” </p>
<p>“And where are they extracting us to?” Piper asked. </p>
<p>Jason watched as the chariot landed on the far end of the skywalk. The flying horses tucked in their wings and cantered nervously across the glass, as if they sensed it was near breaking. Two teenagers stood in the chariot—a tall blond girl maybe a little older than Jason, and a bulky dude with a shaved head and a face like a pile of bricks. They both wore jeans and orange T-shirts, with shields tossed over their backs. The girl leaped off before the chariot had even finished moving. She pulled a knife and ran toward Jason’s group while the bulky dude was reining in the horses. </p>
<p>“Where is he?” the girl demanded. Her gray eyes were fierce and a little startling. </p>
<p>“Where’s who?” Jason asked. </p>
<p>She frowned like his answer was unacceptable. Then she turned to Leo and Piper. “What about Gleeson? Where is your protector, Gleeson Hedge?”</p>
<p>The coach’s first name was Gleeson? Jason might’ve laughed if the morning hadn’t been quite so weird and scary. Gleeson Hedge: football coach, goat man, protector of demigods. Sure. Why not?</p>
<p>Leo cleared his throat when it seemed Piper was just going to continue staring at the girl. “He got taken by some … tornado things.” </p>
<p>“Venti,” Jason said. “Storm spirits.” </p>
<p>The blond girl arched an eyebrow. “You mean anemoi thuellai? That’s the Greek term. Who are you, and what happened?” </p>
<p>Jason did his best to explain, though it was hard to meet those intense gray eyes. About halfway through the story, the other guy from the chariot came over. He stood there glaring at them, his arms crossed. He had a tattoo of a rainbow on his biceps, which seemed a little unusual.</p>
<p>When Jason had finished his story, the blond girl didn’t look satisfied. “No, no, no! She told me he would be here. She told me if I came here, I’d find the answer.” </p>
<p>“Annabeth,” the bald guy grunted. “Check it out.” He pointed at Jason’s feet. </p>
<p>Jason hadn’t thought much about it, but he was still missing his left shoe, which had been blown off by the lightning. His bare foot felt okay, but it looked like a lump of charcoal.</p>
<p>“The guy with one shoe,” said the bald dude. “He’s the answer.” </p>
<p>“No, Butch,” the girl insisted. “He can’t be. I was tricked.” She glared at the sky as though it had done something wrong. “What do you want from me?” she screamed. “What have you done with him?” </p>
<p>The skywalk shuddered, and the horses whinnied urgently.</p>
<p>“Annabeth,” said the bald dude, Butch, “we gotta leave. Let’s get these three to camp and figure it out there. Those storm spirits might come back.”</p>
<p>She fumed for a moment. “Fine.” She fixed Jason with a resentful look. “We’ll settle this later.” </p>
<p>She turned on her heel and marched toward the chariot. </p>
<p>Piper shook her head. “Is she okay? What’s going on?” </p>
<p>“Seriously,” Leo agreed. </p>
<p>“We have to get you out of here,” Butch said. “I’ll explain on the way.” </p>
<p>“I’m not going anywhere with her.” Jason gestured toward the blonde. “She looks like she wants to kill me.” </p>
<p>Butch hesitated. “Annabeth’s okay. You gotta cut her some slack. She had a vision telling her to come here, to find a guy with one shoe. That was supposed to be the answer to her problem.” </p>
<p>“What problem?” Piper asked. </p>
<p>“She’s been looking for one of our campers, who’s been missing three days,” Butch said. “She’s going out of her mind with worry. She hoped he’d be here.” </p>
<p>“Who?” Jason asked. </p>
<p>“Her best friend,” Butch said. “A guy named Percy Jackson.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Lmao, LET DEMIGODS CUSS</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Piper('s OTP is ruined)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Piper doesn't like Drew, she especially doesn't like how she looks at Leo<br/>Piper also doesn't like how everything has gone to shit since that dream</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This took longer than it should have because, me, being an idiot, combined both of Piper's chapters on accident and I didn't realize it until I finished, so enjoy TWO chapters today!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>AFTER A MORNING OF STORM SPIRIT’S, goat men, and her best friend being a super boy wannabe, Piper should’ve been losing her mind. Instead, all she felt was dread.</p>
<p><em>It’s starting</em>, she thought. <em>Just like the dream said.</em></p>
<p>She stood in back of the chariot with Leo and Jason, while the bald guy, Butch, handled the reins, and the blond girl, Annabeth, adjusted a bronze navigation device. They rose over the Grand Canyon and headed east, icy wind ripping straight through Piper’s jacket. Behind them, more storm clouds were gathering.</p>
<p>The chariot lurched and bumped. It had no seat belts and the back was wide open, so Piper wondered if Jason would catch her if she fell, like he did Leo. That had been the most disturbing part of the morning—not that Jason could fly, but that he’d held her best friend in his arms and even kissed him, yet didn’t know who he was. Or who she was for that matter.</p>
<p>All semester she’d worked on their relationship, trying to get Jason to notice he liked Leo as more than a friend. Not that she told Leo she was “playing matchmaker” again. The Latino felt that Jason couldn’t possibly like him and kept telling her to leave it alone. But finally, she’d gotten the big dope to realize his feelings and kiss Leo. The last few weeks had been the best of her life, she got her best friend with his crush, there was no more awkward tension where they would almost kiss but wouldn’t, she could tease Leo all she wanted, <em>and</em> she could finally pay attention to that hot blonde on the football team. It was perfect. And then, three nights ago, the dream had ruined everything—that horrible voice, giving her horrible news. She hadn’t told anyone about it in the beginning, but then Jason found her crying on the roof while watching the meteor shower and she told him everything.</p>
<p>Leo had found them asleep in the same spot the next morning.</p>
<p>
  <em>“You know, if I didn’t know Piper was such a bottom for Angela, I might be jealous.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“LEO!”</em>
</p>
<p>He didn’t even push for information and when he saw her blood shot eyes, he simply handed her one of the many random sunglasses he kept on him at all times.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Gotta protect myself from Jay’s pearly whites somehow. My eye’s, that is, anything else is at his mercy.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Leo, god, I did NOT need to hear that!”</em>
</p>
<p>Now she didn’t even have him. It was like someone had wiped his memory, and she was stuck in the worst “do over” of all time. She wanted to scream. All that hard work she had put into those two and it seemed it was gone in an instant. Not only that, but she had lost her only support she had. She had Leo, but he had enough to deal with, basically losing someone he loved. Speaking of which….</p>
<p>Leo was babbling and every so often his hand would reach out for Jason’s only to cringe back. Piper could see the pain in his eyes, even when he tried to cover it up.</p>
<p>Leo pulled a pegasus feather out of his mouth. “Where are we going?”</p>
<p>“A safe place,” Annabeth said. “The only safe place for kids like us. Camp Half-Blood.”</p>
<p>“Half-Blood?” Piper was immediately on guard. She hated that word. She’d been called a half-blood too many times—half Cherokee, half white—and it was never a compliment. Annabeth seemed above something so shallow, but you never know. “Is that some kind of bad joke?”</p>
<p>“She means we’re demigods,” Jason said. “Half god, half mortal.”</p>
<p>Annabeth looked back. “You seem to know a lot, Jason. But, yes, demigods. My mom is Athena, goddess of wisdom. Butch here is the son of Iris, the rainbow goddess.”</p>
<p>Leo side-eyed him. “Your mom is a rainbow goddess?”</p>
<p>“Got a problem with that?” Butch said.</p>
<p>“No, no,” Leo smiled weakly. “Rainbows. Very butch.”</p>
<p>Both Leo and Piper look over at Jason. Usually, when Leo makes a shitty pun like that one, he’d huff and run a hand through Leo’s hair before kissing his forehead. It was disgustingly sweet and so very Jason. Piper also usually fake gags and Leo, of course, sticks his tongue out at her.</p>
<p>Jason just stared at the horizon, not even noticing them.</p>
<p>“Butch is our best equestrian,” Annabeth said, smoothly changing the subject. “He gets along great with the pegasi.”</p>
<p>“Rainbows, ponies,” Leo muttered.</p>
<p>“I’m gonna toss you off this chariot,” Butch warned.</p>
<p>Leo muttered something under his breathe that Piper couldn’t catch, but obviously Butch did as he gave Leo a long considering look.</p>
<p>“Demigods,” Piper said. “You mean you think you’re … you think we’re—”</p>
<p>Lightning flashed. The chariot shuddered, and Jason yelled, “Left wheel’s on fire!”</p>
<p>Piper stepped back. Sure enough, the wheel was burning, white flames lapping up the side of the chariot.</p>
<p>The wind roared. Piper glanced behind them and saw dark shapes forming in the clouds, more storm spirits spiraling toward the chariot—except these looked more like horses than angels.</p>
<p>She started to say, “Why are they—”</p>
<p>“Anemoi come in different shapes,” Annabeth said. “Sometimes human, sometimes stallions, depending on how chaotic they are. Hold on. This is going to get rough.”</p>
<p>Leo latched tightly onto the nearest person, which turned out to be Butch since it seemed Leo was determined to avoid Jason.</p>
<p>“I’m tired of free falling off of stuff!”</p>
<p>Butch flicked the reins. The pegasi put on a burst of speed, and the chariot blurred. Piper’s stomach crawled into her throat. Her vision went black, and when it came back to normal, they were in a totally different place.</p>
<p>A cold gray ocean stretched out to the left. Snow-covered fields, roads, and forests spread to the right. Directly below them was a green valley, like an island of springtime, rimmed with snowy hills on three sides and water to the north. Piper saw a cluster of buildings like ancient Greek temples, a big blue mansion, ball courts, a lake, and a climbing wall that seemed to be on fire. But before she could really process all she was seeing; their wheels came off and the chariot dropped out of the sky.</p>
<p>Annabeth and Butch tried to maintain control. The pegasi labored to hold the chariot in a flight pattern, but they seemed exhausted from their burst of speed, and bearing the chariot and the weight of five people was just too much.</p>
<p>“The lake!” Annabeth yelled. “Aim for the lake!”</p>
<p>Piper remembered something her dad had once told her, about hitting water from up high being as bad as hitting cement.</p>
<p>And then—BOOM.</p>
<p>The biggest shock was the cold. She was underwater, so disoriented that she didn’t know which way was up.</p>
<p>She just had time to think: This would be a stupid way to die. Then faces appeared in the green murk—stupidly pretty girls with long black hair and glowing yellow eyes. They smiled at her, grabbed her shoulders, and hauled her up.</p>
<p>They tossed her, gasping and shivering, onto the shore. Nearby, Butch stood in the lake, cutting the wrecked harnesses off the pegasi and handing them to Leo who he murmured quietly to. Fortunately, the horses looked okay, but they were flapping their wings and splashing water everywhere. Jason, who was staring hard at Butch and Leo, and Annabeth were already on shore, surrounded by kids giving them blankets and asking questions. Somebody took Piper by the arms and helped her stand. Apparently, kids fell into the lake a lot, because a detail of campers ran up with big bronze leaf blower–looking things and blasted Piper with hot air; and in about two seconds her clothes were dry.</p>
<p>There were at least twenty campers milling around—the youngest maybe nine, the oldest college age, eighteen or nineteen—and all of them had orange T-shirts like Annabeth’s. Piper looked back at the water and saw those strange girls just below the surface, their hair floating in the current. They waved like, toodle-oo, and disappeared into the depths. A second later the wreckage of the chariot was tossed from the lake and landed nearby with a wet crunch.</p>
<p>“Annabeth!” A guy with a bow and quiver on his back pushed through the crowd. “I said you could borrow the chariot, not destroy it!”</p>
<p>“Will, I’m sorry,” Annabeth sighed. “I’ll get it fixed, I promise.”</p>
<p>Will scowled at his broken chariot. Then he sized up Piper, Leo, who walked up with Butch, and Jason. “These are the ones? Way older than thirteen. Why haven’t they been claimed already?”</p>
<p>“Claimed?” Leo asked.</p>
<p>Before Annabeth could explain, Will said, “Any sign of Percy?”</p>
<p>“No,” Annabeth admitted.</p>
<p>The campers muttered. Piper had no idea who this guy Percy was, but his disappearance seemed to be a big deal. As soon as Annabeth said no, it was like it got 10 degrees colder and the life was just sucked out of the place.</p>
<p>Another girl stepped forward—tall, Asian, dark hair in ringlets, plenty of jewelry, and perfect makeup. Somehow, she managed to make jeans and an orange T-shirt look glamorous. She considered Leo with praising eyes, fixed her eyes on Jason like he might be worthy of her attention, then curled her lip at Piper as if she were a week-old burrito that had just been pulled out of a Dumpster. Piper knew this girl’s type. She’d dealt with a lot of girls like this at Wilderness School and every other stupid school her father had sent her to. Piper knew instantly they were going to be enemies. She’d have to keep an eye on Leo, Piper didn’t like the looks the girl gave him.</p>
<p>“Well,” the girl said, “I hope they’re worth the trouble.”</p>
<p>Leo snorted. “Gee, thanks. What are we, your new pets?”</p>
<p>“No kidding,” Jason said. “How about some answers before you start judging us—like, what is this place, why are we here, how long do we have to stay?”</p>
<p>Piper had the same questions, but a wave of anxiety washed over her. Worth the trouble. If they only knew about her dream. They had no idea…</p>
<p>“Jason,” Annabeth said, “I promise we’ll answer your questions. And Drew”—she frowned at the glamour girl— “all demigods are worth saving. But I’ll admit, the trip didn’t accomplish what I hoped.”</p>
<p>“Hey,” Piper said, “we didn’t ask to be brought here.”</p>
<p>Drew sniffed. “And nobody wants you, hon. Does your hair always look like a dead badger?”</p>
<p>Piper stepped forward, ready to smack her, but Annabeth said, “Piper, stop.”</p>
<p>Piper did. She wasn’t a bit scared of Drew, but Annabeth didn’t seem like somebody she wanted for an enemy. Besides, she had this aura about her that just screamed <strike>top</strike> don’t mess with me.</p>
<p>“We need to make our new arrivals feel welcome,” Annabeth said, with another pointed look at Drew. “We’ll assign them each a guide, give them a tour of camp. Hopefully by the campfire tonight, they’ll be claimed.”</p>
<p>“Would somebody tell me what claimed means?” Piper asked.</p>
<p>Suddenly there was a collective gasp. The campers backed away. At first Piper thought she’d done something wrong. Then she realized their faces were bathed in a strange red light, as if someone had lit a torch behind her. She turned and almost forgot how to breathe.</p>
<p>Floating over Leo’s head was a blazing holographic image —a fiery hammer.</p>
<p>“That,” Annabeth said, “is claiming.”</p>
<p>“What’d I do?” Leo backed toward the lake.</p>
<p>Then he glanced up and yelped. “Is my hair on fire?” He ducked, but the symbol followed him, bobbing and weaving so it looked like he was trying to write something in flames with his head. Even with all that, he was eerily calm with the thought that he was on fire.</p>
<p>“This can’t be good,” Butch muttered. “The curse—”</p>
<p>“Butch, shut up,” Annabeth said. “Leo, you’ve just been claimed—”</p>
<p>“By a god,” Jason interrupted. “That’s the symbol of Vulcan, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>All eyes turned to him.</p>
<p>“Jason,” Annabeth said carefully, “how did you know that?”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure.”</p>
<p>“Vulcan?” Leo demanded. “I don’t even LIKE Star Trek. What are you talking about?”</p>
<p>“Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus,” Annabeth said, “the god of blacksmiths and fire.”</p>
<p>The fiery hammer faded, but Leo kept swatting the air like he was afraid it was following him. “The god of what? Who?”</p>
<p>Annabeth turned to the guy with the bow. “Will, would you take Leo, give him a tour? Introduce him to his bunk-mates in Cabin Nine.”</p>
<p>Butch stepped closer to Leo.</p>
<p>“Actually, I’ll do it. I need to talk to him anyway.”</p>
<p>“What’s Cabin Nine?” Leo asked. “And I’m not a Vulcan!”</p>
<p>“Come on, firefly, I’ll explain everything.” Butch grabbed his arm and pulled him behind him towards behind a Rockwall that spewed… lava?</p>
<p>Annabeth turned her attention back to Jason. Usually Piper didn’t like it when attractive girls checked out guys, but Annabeth didn’t seem to care that he was good-looking. She studied him more like he was a complicated blueprint. Finally, she said, “Hold out your arm.”</p>
<p>Piper saw what she was looking at, and her eyes widened.</p>
<p>Jason had taken off his windbreaker after his dip in the lake, leaving his arms bare, and on the inside of his right forearm was a tattoo. How had Piper never noticed it before? She’d looked at Jason’s arms a million times. The tattoo couldn’t have just appeared, but it was darkly etched, impossible to miss: a dozen straight lines like a bar code, and over that an eagle with the letters SPQR.</p>
<p>Piper was glad Leo had already left, he had a thing for tattoos.</p>
<p>“I’ve never seen marks like this,” Annabeth said. “Where did you get them?”</p>
<p>Jason shook his head. “I’m getting really tired of saying this, but I don’t know.”</p>
<p>The other campers pushed forward, trying to get a look at Jason’s tattoo. The marks seemed to bother them a lot —almost like a declaration of war.</p>
<p>“They look burned into your skin,” Annabeth noticed.</p>
<p>“They were,” Jason said. Then he winced as if his head was aching. “I mean … I think so. I don’t remember.”</p>
<p>No one said anything. It was clear the campers saw Annabeth as the leader. They were waiting for her verdict.</p>
<p>“He needs to go straight to Chiron,” Annabeth declared. “Will, since Butch took over for Leo, would you—”</p>
<p>“Sure.” Will put a hand on his shoulder and steered him off toward the cabins. “This way, new blonde. I’ll introduce you to our director. He’s a Centaur.” He flashed the lake a somber look and led Jason toward the big blue house on the hill.</p>
<p>The crowd began to disperse, until only Annabeth and Piper were left.</p>
<p>“Who’s Chiron?” Piper asked. “Is Jason in some kind of trouble?”</p>
<p>Annabeth hesitated. “Good question, Piper. Come on, I’ll give you a tour. We need to talk.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you noticed, that one part, "Apparently, kids fell into the lake a lot, because a detail of campers ran up with big bronze leaf blower–looking things and blasted Piper with hot air; and in about two seconds her clothes were dry." is straight from the book, like a lot of other things. But what is different is that this is my favorite quote because all I can do is picture Percy grabbing people with lake water and throwing them in, or just making it rise up and splash people. This is one of my favorite Headcanons.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Piper(has to keep her distance)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Piper learns more about her new home, but knows she can't get attached. All she has to do is keep a low profile and not catch feelings for Annabeth.<br/>Besides, it looks like she's dating the red head.<br/>Then the red head attacks her. All in a days work.<br/>WAIT WHAT THE FUC-</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>HERE IT IS. ALSO I DON'T HAVE A BETA, DON;T KNOW IF I MENTIONED THAT, SO IF YOU SEE MISTAKES IM SORRY</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>PIPER SOON REALIZED ANNABETH’S HEART wasn’t in the tour. Which was a bummer.</p>
<p>She talked about all this amazing stuff the camp offered —magic archery, pegasus riding, the lava wall, fighting monsters —but she showed no excitement, as if her mind were elsewhere. She pointed out the open-air dining pavilion that overlooked Long Island Sound. (Yes, Long Island, New York; they’d traveled that far on the chariot.) Annabeth explained how Camp Half-Blood was mostly a summer camp, but some kids stayed here year-round, and they’d added so many campers it was always crowded now, even in winter.</p>
<p>Piper wondered who ran the camp, and how they’d known Piper and her friends belonged here. She wondered if she’d have to stay full-time, or if she’d be any good at the activities. Could you flunk out of monster fighting? A million questions bubbled in her head, but given Annabeth’s mood, she decided to keep quiet.</p>
<p>As they climbed a hill at the edge of camp, Piper turned and got an amazing view of the valley—a big stretch of woods to the northwest, a beautiful beach, the creek, the canoe lake, lush green fields, and the whole layout of the cabins—a bizarre assortment of buildings arranged like a Greek omega, Ω, with a loop of cabins around a central green, and two wings sticking out the bottom on either side. Piper counted twenty cabins in all. One glowed golden, another silver. One had grass on the roof. Another was bright red with barbed wire trenches. One cabin was black with fiery green torches out front.</p>
<p>All of it seemed like a different world from the snowy hills and fields outside.</p>
<p>“The valley is protected from mortal eyes,” Annabeth said. “As you can see, the weather is controlled, too. Each cabin represents a Greek god—a place for that god’s children to live.”</p>
<p>She looked at Piper like she was trying to judge how Piper was handling the news.</p>
<p>“You’re saying Mom was a goddess.”</p>
<p>Annabeth nodded. “You’re taking this awfully calmly.”</p>
<p>Piper couldn’t tell her why. She couldn’t admit that this just confirmed some weird feelings she’d had for years, arguments she’d had with her father about why there were no photos of Mom in the house, and why Dad would never tell her exactly how or why her mom had left them. But mostly, the dream had warned her this was coming. Soon they will find you, demigod, that voice had rumbled. When they do, follow our directions. Cooperate, and your father might live.</p>
<p>Piper took a shaky breath. “I guess after this morning, it’s a little easier to believe. So, who’s my mom?”</p>
<p>“We should know soon,” Annabeth said. “You’re what —fifteen? Gods are supposed to claim you when you’re thirteen. That was the deal.”</p>
<p>“The deal?”</p>
<p>“They made a promise last summer … well, long story… but they promised not to ignore their demigod children anymore, to claim them by the time they turn thirteen. Sometimes it takes a little longer, but you saw how fast Leo was claimed once he got here. Should happen for you soon. Tonight, at the campfire, I bet we’ll get a sign.”</p>
<p>Piper wondered if she’d have a big flaming hammer over her head, or with her luck, something even more embarrassing. A flaming wombat, maybe. Whoever her mother was, Piper had no reason to think she’d be proud to claim a kleptomaniac daughter with massive problems. “Why thirteen?”</p>
<p>“The older you get,” Annabeth said, “the more monsters notice you, try to kill you. ’Round thirteen is usually when it starts. That’s why we send protectors into the schools to find you guys, get you to camp before it’s too late.”</p>
<p>“Like Coach Hedge?”</p>
<p>Annabeth nodded. “He’s—he was a satyr: half man, half goat. Satyrs work for the camp, finding demigods, protecting them, bringing them in when the time is right.”</p>
<p>Piper had no trouble believing Coach Hedge was half goat. She’d seen the guy eat. She’d never liked the coach much, but she couldn’t believe he’d sacrificed himself to save them.</p>
<p>“What happened to him?” she asked. “When we went up into the clouds, did he … is he gone for good?”</p>
<p>“Hard to say.” Annabeth’s expression was pained. “Storm spirits … difficult to battle. Even our best weapons, Celestial bronze, will pass right through them unless you can catch them by surprise.”</p>
<p>“Jason’s sword just turned them to dust,” Piper remembered.</p>
<p>“He was lucky, then. If you hit a monster just right, you can dissolve them, send their essence back to Tartarus.”</p>
<p>“Tartarus?”</p>
<p>“A huge abyss in the Underworld, where the worst monsters come from. Kind of like a bottomless pit of evil. Anyway, once monsters dissolve, it usually takes months, even years before they can re-form again. But since this storm spirit Dylan got away—well, I don’t know why he’d keep Hedge alive. Hedge was a protector, though. He knew the risks. Satyrs don’t have mortal souls. He’ll be reincarnated as a tree or a flower or something.”</p>
<p>Piper tried to imagine Coach Hedge as a clump of very angry pansies. That made her feel even worse.</p>
<p>She gazed at the cabins below, and an uneasy feeling settled over her. Hedge had died to get her here safely. Her mom’s cabin was down there somewhere, which meant she had brothers and sisters, more people she’d have to betray. Do what we tell you, the voice had said. Or the consequences will be painful. She tucked her hands under her arms, trying to stop them from shaking.</p>
<p>“It’ll be okay,” Annabeth promised. “You have friends here. We’ve all been through a lot of weird stuff. We know what you’re going through.”</p>
<p><em>I doubt that</em>, Piper thought.</p>
<p>“I’ve been kicked out of five different schools the past five years,” she said. “My dad’s running out of places to put me.”</p>
<p>“Only five?” Annabeth didn’t sound like she was teasing. “Piper, we’ve all been labeled troublemakers. I ran away from home when I was seven.”</p>
<p>“Seriously?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah. Most of us are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder or dyslexia, or both—”</p>
<p>“Leo’s ADHD,” Piper said.</p>
<p>“Right. It’s because we’re hardwired for battle. Restless, impulsive—we don’t fit in with regular kids. You should hear how much trouble Percy—” Her face darkened. “Anyway, demigods get a bad rep. How’d you get in trouble?”</p>
<p>Usually when someone asked that question, Piper started a fight, or changed the subject, or caused some kind of distraction. But for some reason she found herself telling the truth. Hot blondes do that to her, apparently. <em>Let’s just hope this one doesn’t lose their memories</em>, she thought.</p>
<p>“I steal stuff,” she said. “Well, not really steal …”</p>
<p>“Is your family poor?”</p>
<p>Piper laughed bitterly. “Not even. I did it … I don’t know why. For attention, I guess. My dad never had time for me unless I got in trouble.”</p>
<p>Annabeth nodded. “I can relate. But you said you didn’t really steal? What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“Well … nobody ever believes me. The police, teachers —even the people I took stuff from: they’re so embarrassed, they’ll deny what happened. But the truth is, I don’t steal anything. I just ask people for things. And they give me stuff. Even a BMW convertible. I just asked. And the dealer said, ‘Sure. Take it.’ Later, he realized what he’d done, I guess. Then the police came after me.”</p>
<p>Piper waited. She was used to people calling her a liar, but when she looked up, Annabeth just nodded.</p>
<p>“Interesting. If your dad were the god, I’d say you’re a child of Hermes, god of thieves. He can be pretty convincing. But your dad is mortal…”</p>
<p>“Very,” Piper agreed.</p>
<p>Annabeth shook her head, apparently mystified. “I don’t know, then. With luck, your mom will claim you tonight.”</p>
<p>Piper almost hoped it wouldn’t happen. If her mom were a goddess, would she know about that dream? Would she know what Piper had been asked to do? Piper wondered if Olympian gods ever blasted their kids with lightning for being evil, or grounded them in the Underworld.</p>
<p>Annabeth was studying her. Piper, face probably redder than a tomato, decided she was going to have to be careful what she said from now on. Annabeth was obviously pretty smart. If anyone could figure out Piper’s secret …</p>
<p>“Come on,” Annabeth said at last. “There’s something else I need to check.”</p>
<p>They hiked a little farther until they reached a cave near the top of the hill. Bones and old swords littered the ground. Torches flanked the entrance, which was covered in a velvet curtain embroidered with snakes. It looked like the set for some kind of twisted puppet show.</p>
<p>“What’s in there?” Piper asked.</p>
<p>Annabeth poked her head inside, then sighed and closed the curtains. “Nothing, right now. A friend’s place. I’ve been expecting her for a few days, but so far, nothing.”</p>
<p>“Your friend lives in a cave?”</p>
<p>Annabeth almost managed a smile. “Actually, her family has a luxury condo in Queens, and she goes to a finishing school in Connecticut. But when she’s here at camp, yeah, she lives in the cave. She’s our oracle, tells the future. I was hoping she could help me—”</p>
<p>“Find Percy,” Piper guessed.</p>
<p>All the energy drained out of Annabeth, like she’d been holding it together for as long as she could. She sat down on a rock, and her expression was so full of pain, Piper felt like a voyeur.</p>
<p>She forced herself to look away. Her eyes drifted to the crest of the hill, where a single pine tree dominated the skyline. Something glittered in its lowest branch—like a fuzzy gold bath mat.</p>
<p>No … not a bath mat. It was a sheep’s fleece.</p>
<p><em>Okay</em>, Piper thought. <em>Greek camp. They’ve got a replica of the Golden Fleece.</em></p>
<p>Then she noticed the base of the tree. At first, she thought it was wrapped in a pile of massive purple cables. But the cables had reptilian scales, clawed feet, and a snakelike head with yellow eyes and smoking nostrils.</p>
<p>“That’s—a dragon,” she stammered. “That’s the actual Golden Fleece?”</p>
<p>Annabeth nodded, but it was clear she wasn’t really listening. Her shoulders drooped. She rubbed her face and took a shaky breath. “Sorry. A little tired.”</p>
<p>“You look ready to drop,” Piper said. “How long have been searching for your friend?”</p>
<p>“Three days, six hours, and about twelve minutes.”</p>
<p>Piper’s heart ached just a little.</p>
<p>“That… that’s oddly specific for just a friend.”</p>
<p>Annabeth huffed.</p>
<p>“Well, Percy’s boyfriend is very good at keeping track of the time and <em>very</em> pissed off his boyfriend is not found yet.”</p>
<p>Piper squinted her eyes. “Sounds like an asshole.”</p>
<p>The blond choked on a laugh before shaking her head, looking at the sky.</p>
<p>“Yeah, he kinda is. But he loves Percy. We all do. He was the light of the camp. Without Percy….” Annabeth rubbed harshly at her face again. “We need to find him. But I—"</p>
<p>“Have no idea what happened to him?”</p>
<p>Annabeth shook her head miserably. “We all were so excited because we both started winter break early. We met up at camp on Tuesday, figured we could spend some time with the camp’s kids, then just hang out with our friends before his boyfriend came to pick him up. It was going to be great. Then after the campfire, he—he told us good night, went back to his cabin, and in the morning, he was gone. We searched the whole camp. We talked to his boyfriend. We contacted his mom. We’ve tried to reach him every way we know how. Nothing. He just disappeared.”</p>
<p>Piper was thinking: <em>Three days ago. The same night she’d had her dream.</em> “How long were you guys together?”</p>
<p>“Since August,” Annabeth said. “August eighteenth.”</p>
<p>“Almost exactly when Leo and I met Jason,” Piper said.</p>
<p>Annabeth winced. “Piper … about that. Maybe you should sit down.”</p>
<p>Piper knew where this was going. Panic started building inside her, like her lungs were filling with water. “Look, I know Jason thought—he thought he just appeared at our school today. But that’s not true. I’ve known him for four months.”</p>
<p>“Piper,” Annabeth said sadly. “It’s the Mist.”</p>
<p>“Missed … what?”</p>
<p>“M-i-s-t. It’s a kind of veil separating the mortal world from the magic world. Mortal minds—they can’t process strange stuff like gods and monsters, so the Mist bends reality. It makes mortals see things in a way they can understand —like their eyes might just skip over this valley completely, or they might look at that dragon and see a pile of cables.”</p>
<p>Piper swallowed. “No. You said yourself I’m not a regular mortal. I’m a demigod.”</p>
<p>“Even demigods can be affected. I’ve seen it lots of times. Monsters infiltrate some place like a school, pass themselves off as human, and everyone thinks they remember that person. They believe he’s always been around. The Mist can change memories, even create memories of things that never happened—”</p>
<p>“But Jason’s not a monster!” Piper insisted. “He’s a human guy, or demigod, or whatever you want to call him. My memories aren’t fake. <em>Leo’s</em> memories aren’t fake! They’re so real. The time we set Coach Hedge’s pants on fire. The time Jason and I watched a meteor shower on the dorm roof after he comforted me because…. And Leo’s stupid jokes!"</p>
<p>She found herself rambling, telling Annabeth about her whole semester at Wilderness School. The three of them sticking together. Leo’s crush on Jason, and Jason not knowing about his feelings. Piper spending weeks trying to get the big oaf to realize it. Jason finally kissing Leo after Dylan bullied him to tears. Even Piper’s thing with the only female on the football team and Jason giving her the big brother talk. All that couldn’t be fake.</p>
<p>Annabeth pursed her lips. “Piper, your memories are a lot sharper than most. I’ll admit that, and I don’t know why that is. But if you know him so well—”</p>
<p>“I do!”</p>
<p>“Then where is he from?”</p>
<p>Piper felt like she’d been hit between the eyes. “He must have told me, but—”</p>
<p>“Did you ever notice his tattoo before today? Did he ever tell you anything about his parents, or his friends, or his last school?”</p>
<p>“I—I don’t know, but—”</p>
<p>“Piper, what’s his last name?”</p>
<p>Her mind went blank. She didn’t know Jason’s last name. How could that be?</p>
<p>She started to cry. She felt like a total fool, but she sat down on the rock next to Annabeth and just fell to pieces. It was too much. Did everything that was good in her stupid, miserable life have to be taken away? And Leo, god, Leo. This would destroy him.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Annabeth said. “We’ll figure it out. Jason’s here now. Who knows? Maybe you and Leo can make those things real.”</p>
<p>Not likely, Piper thought. Not if the dream had told her the truth. But she couldn’t say that.</p>
<p>She brushed a tear from her cheek. “You brought me up here so no one would see me blubbering, huh?”</p>
<p>Annabeth shrugged. “Not gonna lie, I thought you and Jason were together at first. Which is actually why I brought you up here, gods, if I had known it was Leo…. Well, I can’t fix that mistake. Anyway, it’s still hard for you. I know what it’s like to lose your best friend.”</p>
<p>“But I still can’t believe … I know we were close. And his relationship with Leo? Borderline perfection. Leo <em>loved</em> him. And now it’s just gone, like he doesn’t even recognize us. If he really did just show up today, then why? How’d he get there? Why can’t he remember anything?”</p>
<p>“Good questions,” Annabeth said. “Hopefully Chiron can figure that out. But for now, we need to get you settled. You ready to go back down?”</p>
<p>Piper gazed at the crazy assortment of cabins in the valley. Her new home, a family who supposedly understood her—but soon they’d be just another bunch of people she’d disappointed, just another place she’d been kicked out of. <em>You’ll betray them for us,</em> the voice had warned. <em>Or you’ll lose everything</em>.</p>
<p>She didn’t have a choice.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” she lied. “I’m ready.”</p>
<p>On the central green, a group of campers was playing basketball. They were incredible shots. Nothing bounced off the rim. Three-pointers went in automatically.</p>
<p>“Apollo’s cabin,” Annabeth explained. “Bunch of showoffs with missile weapons—arrows, basketballs.”</p>
<p>An Apollo camper heard her while shooting and stuck his tongue out at her. He didn’t miss though.</p>
<p>They walked past a central fire pit, where two guys were hacking at each other with swords.</p>
<p>“Real blades?” Piper noted. “Isn’t that dangerous?”</p>
<p>“That’s sort of the point,” Annabeth said. “Uh, sorry. Bad pun. That’s my cabin over there. Number Six.” She nodded to a gray building with a carved owl over the door. Through the open doorway, Piper could see bookshelves, weapon displays, and one of those computerized SMART Boards they have in classrooms. Two girls were drawing a map that looked like a battle diagram.</p>
<p>“Speaking of blades,” Annabeth said, “come here.”</p>
<p>She led Piper around the side of the cabin, to a big metal shed that looked like it was meant for gardening tools. Annabeth unlocked it, and inside were not gardening tools, unless you wanted to make war on your tomato plants. The shed was lined with all sorts of weapons—from swords to spears to clubs like Coach Hedge’s.</p>
<p>“Every demigod needs a weapon,” Annabeth said. “Hephaestus makes the best, but we have a pretty good selection, too. Athena’s all about strategy—matching the right weapon to the right person. Let’s see …”</p>
<p>Piper didn’t feel much like shopping for deadly objects, but she knew Annabeth was trying to do something nice for her. And besides, more time spent with the pretty (badass) girl meant more time Piper could see if she’s straight or not.</p>
<p>Annabeth handed her a massive sword; which Piper could hardly lift.</p>
<p>“No,” they both said at once.</p>
<p>Annabeth rummaged a little farther in the shed and brought out something else.</p>
<p>“A shotgun?” Piper asked.</p>
<p>“Mossberg 500.” Annabeth checked the pump action like it was no big deal and Piper felt a little light-headed for a moment. “Don’t worry. It doesn’t hurt humans. It’s modified to shoot Celestial bronze, so it only kills monsters.”</p>
<p>“Um, I don’t think that’s my style,” Piper said.</p>
<p>“Mm, yeah,” Annabeth agreed. “Too flashy.”</p>
<p>She put the shotgun back and started poking through a rack of crossbows when something in the corner of the shed caught Piper’s eye.</p>
<p>“What is that?” she said. “A knife?”</p>
<p>Annabeth dug it out and blew the dust off the scabbard. It looked like it hadn’t seen the light of day in centuries.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, Piper.” Annabeth sounded uneasy. “I don’t think you want this one. Swords are usually better.”</p>
<p>“You use a knife.” Piper pointed to the one strapped to Annabeth’s belt.</p>
<p>“Yeah, but …” Annabeth shrugged. “Well, take a look if you want.”</p>
<p>The sheath was worn black leather, bound in bronze. Nothing fancy, nothing flashy. The polished wood handle fit beautifully in Piper’s hand. When she unsheathed it, she found a triangular blade eighteen inches long—bronze gleaming like it had been polished yesterday. The edges were deadly sharp. Her reflection in the blade caught her by surprise. She looked older, more serious, not as scared as she felt.</p>
<p>“It suits you,” Annabeth admitted, a light blush on her face that Piper was sure was just her mind playing tricks on her. “That kind of blade is called a parazonium. It was mostly ceremonial, carried by high ranking officers in the Greek armies. It showed you were a person of power and wealth, but in a fight, it could protect you just fine.”</p>
<p>“I like it,” Piper said. “Why didn’t you think it was right?”</p>
<p>Annabeth exhaled. “That blade has a long story. Most people would be afraid to claim it. Its first owner … well, things didn’t turn out too well for her. Her name was Helen.”</p>
<p>Piper let that sink in. “Wait, you mean the Helen? Helen of Troy?”</p>
<p>Annabeth nodded.</p>
<p>Suddenly Piper felt like she should be handling the dagger with surgical gloves. “And it’s just sitting in your toolshed!?”</p>
<p>“We’re surrounded by Ancient Greek stuff,” Annabeth said. “This isn’t a museum. Weapons like that—they’re meant to be used. They’re our heritage as demigods. That was a wedding present from Menelaus, Helen’s first husband. She named the dagger Katoptris.”</p>
<p>“Meaning?”</p>
<p>“Mirror,” Annabeth said. “Looking glass. Probably because that’s the only thing Helen used it for. I don’t think it’s ever seen battle.” Piper looked at the blade again. For a moment, her own image stared up at her, but then the reflection changed. She saw flames, and a grotesque face like something carved from bedrock. She heard the same laughter as in her dream. She saw her dad in chains, tied to a post in front of a roaring bonfire.</p>
<p>She dropped the blade.</p>
<p>“Piper?” Annabeth shouted to the Apollo kids on the court, “Medic! I need some help over here!”</p>
<p>“No, it’s—it’s okay,” Piper managed.</p>
<p>“You sure?”</p>
<p>Annabeth had a hand on her arm and the other one near the base of her spine. Her hands were hot on Piper’s skin.</p>
<p>“Yeah. I just …” She had to control herself. With trembling fingers, she picked up the dagger. “I just got overwhelmed. So much happening today. But … I want to keep the dagger, if that’s okay.”</p>
<p>Annabeth hesitated. Then she waved off the Apollo kids. “Okay, if you’re sure. You turned really pale, there. I thought you were having a seizure or something.”</p>
<p>“I’m fine,” Piper promised, though her heart was still racing. “Is there … um, a phone at camp? Can I call my dad?”</p>
<p>Annabeth’s gray eyes were almost as unnerving as the dagger blade. She seemed to be calculating a million possibilities, trying to read Piper’s thoughts.</p>
<p>“We aren’t allowed phones,” she said. “Most demigods, if they use a cell phone, it’s like sending up a signal, letting monsters know where you are. But … I’ve got one.” She slipped it out of her pocket and winked. “Kind of against the rules, but it can be our little secret …”</p>
<p>Piper took it gratefully, trying not to let her hands shake. She stepped away from Annabeth and turned to face the commons area.</p>
<p>She called her dad’s private line, even though she knew what would happen. Voice mail. She’d been trying for three days, ever since the dream. Wilderness School only allowed phone privileges once a day, but she’d called every evening, and gotten nowhere.</p>
<p>Reluctantly she dialed the other number. Her dad’s personal assistant answered immediately. “Mr. McLean’s office.”</p>
<p>“Jane,” Piper said, gritting her teeth. “Where’s my dad?”</p>
<p>Jane was silent for a moment, probably wondering if she could get away with hanging up. “Piper, I thought you weren’t supposed to call from school.”</p>
<p>“Maybe I’m not at school,” Piper said. “Maybe I ran away to live among the woodland creatures.”</p>
<p>“Mm.” Jane didn’t sound concerned. “Well, I’ll tell him you called.”</p>
<p>“Where is he?”</p>
<p>“Out.”</p>
<p>“You don’t know, do you?” Piper lowered her voice, hoping Annabeth was too nice to eavesdrop. “When are you going to call the police, Jane? He could be in trouble.”</p>
<p>“Piper, we are not going to turn this into a media circus. I’m sure he’s fine. He does take off occasionally. He always comes back.”</p>
<p>“So, it’s true. You don’t know—”</p>
<p>“I have to go, Piper,” Jane snapped. “Enjoy school.”</p>
<p>The line went dead. Piper cursed. She walked back to Annabeth and handed her the phone.</p>
<p>“No luck?” Annabeth asked.</p>
<p>Piper didn’t answer. She didn’t trust herself not to start crying again.</p>
<p>Annabeth glanced at the phone display and hesitated. “Your last name is McLean? Sorry, it’s not my business. But that sounds really familiar.”</p>
<p>“Common name.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess. What does your dad do?”</p>
<p>“He’s got a degree in the arts,” Piper said automatically. “He’s a Cherokee artist.”</p>
<p>Her standard response. Not a lie, just not the whole truth. Most people, when they heard that, figured her dad sold Indian souvenirs at a roadside stand on a reservation. Sitting Bull bobble-heads, wampum necklaces, Big Chief tablets—that kind of thing.</p>
<p>“Oh.” Annabeth didn’t look convinced, but she put the phone away. “You feeling okay? Want to keep going?”</p>
<p>Piper fastened her new dagger to her belt and promised herself that later, when she was alone, she’d figure out how it worked. “Sure,” she said. “I want to see everything.”</p>
<p>All the cabins were cool, but none of them struck Piper as hers. No burning signs—wombats or otherwise—appeared over her head.</p>
<p>Cabin Eight was entirely silver and glowed like moonlight.</p>
<p>“Artemis?” Piper guessed.</p>
<p>“You know Greek mythology,” Annabeth said.</p>
<p>“I did some reading when my dad was working on a project last year.”</p>
<p>“I thought he did Cherokee art.”</p>
<p>Piper bit back a curse. “Oh, right. But—you know, he does other stuff too.”</p>
<p>Piper thought she’d blown it: McLean, Greek mythology. Thankfully, Annabeth didn’t seem to make the connection. At least, that’s what she assumed.</p>
<p>Annabeth grabbed one of Piper’s hands and covered it with her own.</p>
<p>“If you ever need to talk about anything, I’m here, okay?”</p>
<p>Piper’s face was on fire as she nodded.</p>
<p>“Anyway,” Annabeth continued, “Artemis is goddess of the moon, goddess of hunting. But no campers. Artemis was an eternal maiden, so she doesn’t have any kids.”</p>
<p>“Oh.”</p>
<p>That kind of bummed Piper out. She’d always liked the stories of Artemis, and figured she would make a cool mom.</p>
<p>“Well, there are the Hunters of Artemis,” Annabeth amended. “They visit sometimes. They’re not the children of Artemis, but they’re her handmaidens—this band of immortal teenage girls who adventure together and hunt monsters and stuff.”</p>
<p>Piper perked up. “That sounds cool. They get to be immortal?”</p>
<p>“Unless they die in combat, or break their vows. Did I mention they have to swear off dating? No boys, no girls—ever. For eternity.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Piper said. “Never mind.”</p>
<p>Annabeth laughed. For a moment she looked relieved, almost happy, and Piper thought she could be someone Piper could be happy with in better times.</p>
<p><em>Forget it</em>, Piper reminded herself. <em>You’re not going to make any friends here. Let alone get a girlfriend. Not once they find out.</em></p>
<p>They passed the next cabin, Number Ten, which was decorated like a Barbie house with lace curtains, a pink door, and potted carnations in the windows. They walked by the doorway, and the smell of perfume almost made Piper gag.</p>
<p>“Gah, is that where supermodels go to die?”</p>
<p>Annabeth smirked. “Aphrodite’s cabin. Goddess of love. Drew is the head counselor.”</p>
<p>“Figures,” Piper grumbled.</p>
<p>“They’re not all bad,” Annabeth said. “The last head counselor we had was great.”</p>
<p>“What happened to her?”</p>
<p>Annabeth’s expression darkened. “We should keep moving.”</p>
<p>They looked at the other cabins, but Piper just got more depressed. She wondered if she could be the daughter of Demeter, the farming goddess. Then again, Piper killed every plant she ever touched. Athena was cool, but she definably wasn’t into incest. Or maybe Hecate, the magic goddess. But it didn’t really matter. Even here, where everyone was supposed to find a lost parent, she knew she would still end up the unwanted kid. She was not looking forward to the campfire tonight.</p>
<p>“We started with the twelve Olympian gods,” Annabeth explained. “Male gods on the left, female on the right. Then last year, we added a whole bunch of new cabins for the other gods who didn’t have thrones on Olympus—Hecate, Hades, Iris—”</p>
<p>“What are the two big ones on the end?” Piper asked.</p>
<p>Annabeth frowned. “Zeus and Hera. King and queen of the gods.”</p>
<p>Piper headed that way, and Annabeth followed, though she didn’t act very excited. The Zeus cabin reminded Piper of a bank. It was white marble with big columns out front and polished bronze doors emblazoned with lightning bolts.</p>
<p>Hera’s cabin was smaller but done in the same style, except the doors were carved with peacock feather designs, shimmering in different colors.</p>
<p>Unlike the other cabins, which were all noisy and open and full of activity, the Zeus and Hera cabins looked closed and silent.</p>
<p>“Are they empty?” Piper asked.</p>
<p>Annabeth nodded. “Zeus went a long time without having any children. Well, mostly. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, the eldest brothers among the gods—they’re called the Big Three. Their kids are really powerful, really dangerous. For the last seventy years or so, they tried to avoid having demigod children.”</p>
<p>“Tried to avoid it?”</p>
<p>“Sometimes they … um, cheated. I’ve got a friend, Thalia Grace, who’s the daughter of Zeus. But she gave up camp life and became a Hunter of Artemis. My friend, the one that’s missing, Percy, he’s a son of Poseidon. And there’s a kid who shows up sometimes to visit his boyfriends, Nico—son of Hades. Except for them, there are no demigod children of the Big Three gods. At least, not that we know of.”</p>
<p>“And Hera?” Piper looked at the peacock-decorated doors. The cabin bothered her, though she wasn’t sure why.</p>
<p>“She’s the high and mighty Goddess of marriage.” Annabeth’s tone was carefully controlled with the tiniest hint of mockery, like she was trying to avoid cursing. “She doesn’t have kids with anyone but Zeus. So, yeah, no demigods. The cabin’s just honorary.”</p>
<p>“You don’t like her,” Piper noticed.</p>
<p>“We have a long history,” Annabeth admitted. “I thought we’d made peace, but when Percy disappeared … I got this weird dream vision from her.”</p>
<p>“Telling you to come get us,” Piper said. “But you thought Percy would be there.”</p>
<p>“It’s probably better I don’t talk about it,” Annabeth said. “I’ve got nothing good to say about Hera right now.”</p>
<p>Piper looked down the base of the doors. “So, who goes in here?”</p>
<p>“No one. The cabin is just honorary, like I said. No one goes in.”</p>
<p>“Someone does.” Piper pointed at a footprint on the dusty threshold. On instinct, she pushed the doors and they swung open easily.</p>
<p>Annabeth stepped back. “Um, Piper, I don’t think we should—”</p>
<p>“We’re supposed to do dangerous stuff, right?” And Piper walked inside.</p>
<p>Hera’s cabin was not someplace Piper would want to live. It was as cold as a freezer, with a circle of white columns around a central statue of the goddess, ten feet tall, seated on a throne in flowing golden robes. Piper had always thought of Greek statues as white with blank eyes, but this one was brightly painted so it looked almost human—except huge. Hera’s piercing eyes seemed to follow Piper.</p>
<p>At the goddess’s feet, a fire burned in a bronze brazier. Piper wondered who tended it if the cabin was always empty. A stone hawk sat on Hera’s shoulder, and in her hand was a staff topped with a lotus flower. The goddess’s hair was done in black plaits. Her face smiled, but the eyes were cold and calculating, as if she were saying: <em>Mother knows best. Now don’t cross me or I will have to step on you.</em></p>
<p>There was nothing else in the cabin—no beds, no furniture, no bathroom, no windows, nothing that anyone could actually use to live. For a goddess of home and marriage, Hera’s place reminded Piper of a tomb.</p>
<p>No, this wasn’t her mom. At least Piper was sure of that. She hadn’t come in here because she felt a good connection, but because her sense of dread was stronger here. Her dream —that horrible ultimatum she’d been handed—had something to do with this cabin.</p>
<p>She froze. They weren’t alone. Behind the statue, at a little altar in the back, stood a figure covered in a black shawl. Only her hands were visible, palms up. She seemed to be chanting something like a spell or a prayer.</p>
<p>Annabeth gasped. “Rachel?”</p>
<p>The other girl turned. She dropped her shawl, revealing a mane of curly red hair and a freckled face that didn’t go with the seriousness of the cabin or the black shawl at all. She looked about seventeen, a totally normal teen in a green blouse and tattered jeans covered with marker doodles. Despite the cold floor, she was barefoot.</p>
<p>“Hey!” She ran to give Annabeth a hug. “I’m so sorry! I came as fast as I could.”</p>
<p>They talked for a few minutes about the missing boy and how there was no news, et cetera, until finally Annabeth remembered Piper, who was standing there feeling uncomfortable. And a little jealous.</p>
<p>“I’m being rude,” Annabeth apologized. “Rachel, this is Piper, one of the half-bloods we rescued today. Piper, this is Rachel Elizabeth Dare, our oracle.”</p>
<p>“The friend who lives in the cave,” Piper guessed.</p>
<p>Rachel grinned. “That’s me.”</p>
<p>“So, you’re an oracle?” Piper asked. “You can tell the future?”</p>
<p>“More like the future mugs me from time to time,” Rachel said. “I speak prophecies. The oracle’s spirit kind of hijacks me every once in a while, and speaks important stuff that doesn’t make any sense to anybody. But yeah, the prophecies tell the future.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” Piper shifted from foot to foot. “That’s cool.”</p>
<p>Rachel laughed. “Don’t worry. Everybody finds it a little creepy. Even me. But usually I’m harmless.”</p>
<p>“You’re a demigod?”</p>
<p>“Nope,” Rachel said. “Just mortal.”</p>
<p>“Then what are you …” Piper waved her hand around the room.</p>
<p>Rachel’s smile faded. She glanced at Annabeth, then back at Piper. “Just a hunch. Something about this cabin and Percy’s disappearance. They’re connected somehow. I’ve learned to follow my hunches, especially the last month, since the gods went silent.”</p>
<p>“Went silent?” Piper asked.</p>
<p>Rachel frowned at Annabeth. “You haven’t told her yet?”</p>
<p>“I was getting to that,” Annabeth said. “Piper, for the last month … well, it’s normal for the gods not to talk to their children very much, but usually we can count on some messages now and then. Some of us can even visit Olympus. I spent practically all semester at the Empire State Building.”</p>
<p>“Excuse me?”</p>
<p>“The entrance to Mount Olympus these days.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Piper said. “Sure, why not?”</p>
<p>“Annabeth was redesigning Olympus after it was damaged in the Titan War,” Rachel explained. “She’s an amazing architect. You should see the salad bar—”</p>
<p>“Anyway,” Annabeth said, a blush highlighting her cheeks, “starting about a month ago, Olympus fell silent. The entrance closed, and no one could get in. Nobody knows why. It’s like the gods have sealed themselves off. Even my mom won’t answer my prayers, and our camp director, Dionysus, was recalled.”</p>
<p>“Your camp director was the god of … wine?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s a—”</p>
<p>“Long story,” Piper guessed. “Right. Go on.”</p>
<p>“That’s it, really,” Annabeth said. “Demigods still get claimed, but nothing else. No messages. No visits. No sign the gods are even listening. It’s like something has happened —something really bad. Then Percy disappeared.”</p>
<p>“And Jason showed up on our field trip,” Piper supplied. “With no memory.”</p>
<p>“Who’s Jason?” Rachel asked.</p>
<p>“My friend. But Annabeth, you said Hera sent you a dream vision.”</p>
<p>“Right,” Annabeth said. “The first communication from a god in a month, and it’s Hera, the least helpful goddess, and she contacts me, her least favorite demigod. She tells me I’ll find out what happened to Percy if I go to the Grand Canyon skywalk and look for a guy with one shoe. Instead, I find you guys, and the guy with one shoe is Jason. It doesn’t make sense.”</p>
<p>“Something bad is happening,” Rachel agreed. She looked at Piper, and Piper felt an overwhelming desire to tell them about her dream, to confess that she knew what was happening—at least part of the story. And the bad stuff was only beginning.</p>
<p>“Guys,” she said. “I—I need to—”</p>
<p>Before she could continue, Rachel’s body stiffened. Her eyes began to glow with a greenish light, and she grabbed Piper by the shoulders.</p>
<p>Piper tried to back away, but Rachel’s hands were like steel clamps.</p>
<p><em>Free me</em>, she said. But it wasn’t Rachel’s voice. It sounded like an older woman, speaking from somewhere far away, down a long, echoing pipe. <em>Free me, Piper McLean, or the earth shall swallow us. It must be by the solstice.</em></p>
<p>The room started spinning. Annabeth tried to separate Piper from Rachel, but it was no use. Green smoke enveloped them, and Piper was no longer sure if she was awake or dreaming. The giant statue of the goddess seemed to rise from its throne. It leaned over Piper, its eyes boring into her. The statue’s mouth opened, its breath like horribly thick perfume. It spoke in the same echoing voice: <em>Our enemies stir. The fiery one is only the first. Bow to his will, and their king shall rise, dooming us all. FREE ME!</em></p>
<p>Piper’s knees buckled, and everything went black.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>BOOM</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Not A Chapter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I'm so sorry</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I suck at updating and I always have new story Ideas...some I can't stop myself from writing. Speaking of! I am planning on writing a trilogy of self inserts, each book will be a different Anime and until I finish those, all my other works will be on a Hiatus! Sorry everyone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23914852">like a team who had trained together for years</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/leovaldez/pseuds/leovaldez">leovaldez</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div></div></div>
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